The Day the Angel Came
by Joy Booth
Summary: They had always known somewhere in the back of their heads that one day she would leave them. It was the fate of both Librarians and Guardians to give their lives for the greater good, but no one was ready the day the Angel of Death came for Cassie.


The Day the Angel Came

They had always known somewhere in the back of their heads that one day she would leave them. It was the fate of both Librarians and Guardians to give their lives for the greater good, but no one was ready the day the Angel of Death came for Cassie.

It was just another day at the annex. Flynn and Baird were arguing about the last mission. Jones was tinkering on a new safe he had been trying to crack for a few days. Jenkins was in the lab and Stone was pretending to read, but really just watching Cassie, who was working on something out of Da Vinci's sketch book.

One minute she was babbling quietly to herself and the next she was on the floor, seizing uncontrollably. Stone was the first to get to her. He immediately pulled her into her arms. He held her in a tight grip, trying to keep her from hurting herself and whispering words of comfort, as her body shook. After what seemed like a lifetime, she finally went limp.

"Stone, you gotta let go so Jenkins can have a look," Eve shook him, finally breaking him out of his unresponsive state. Without a word, he laid her on the sofa nearby and moved to the opposite corner of he room.

"Her pulse is thready, but that is to be expected," Jenkins reported as he continued to flash a light in her eyes and tried to assess the damage from her seizure.

"Should we take her to the hospital?" Jones asked, not knowing what else to do.

"Unfortunately , Mr. Jones, Miss Cillian choose to sign a DNR after her run in with the brotherhood in Jakarta. We can certainly take her to a hospital, but if her condition deteriorates, there is not much they can do for her, except keep her comfortable," Jenkins explained in his always so detached manner. "She is stable for now, and I have something to do so, if one of you could stay with her until she awakes?"

"What could be so important at a time like this?" Stone grumbled from across the room, hurling glares at the older man as if he were the devil himself.

"I'll sit with her," Jones offered, surprising almost everyone in the room.

"I am going to hit the gym then," Baird announced. "Let me know if you need someone to take over."

"And I'll be around if you need me," Flynn commented following his guardian out the door. When everyone else was gone Jones pulled up a chair next to the sofa and started playing on his phone. With a grunt of disgust, Stone went up the stairs to the second floor balcony.

An hour ticked by where nothing happened and everyone relaxed, but then he came. In a flash of the brightest white light, the angel of death materialized in the library annex.

"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" Jones asked, placing himself between the ordinary looking man and the girl on the couch.

"I am Azrael, the angel of death. As a gift for all the good work you do here, we have given you a five minute warning," the man said. "Please, inform whomever has yet to make their peace her that the time is now."

Then, just like that, the man turned and disappeared into the same bright light.

"Stone!" Jones called in a panic, hoping that his fellow librarian hadn't wandered too far.

"I heard," Stone said, absently making his way back down the stairs.

"I should go find Baird and Flynn, do you mind staying with her?" Without waiting for an answer, Jones ran down the hall toward the gym.

Once he was sure Jones was out of ear shot, Stone slumped into the chair beside her. His eyes were on her, but he couldn't see past the choking emptiness he felt. They had been through so much together. The first time he had see her, she had taken his breath away, but then she betrayed them, and he had to build up a wall. He had to keep his feelings for this girl hidden.

And he had done it. He had kept her at arm's length, while the rest of the team got to know each other. He had avoided group outings that were not strictly mission related. He has rebuffed every offer of friendship she had sent him, but that didn't stop her.

No, this girl, this woman, had never accepted that they would not one day be friends, and he hated himself for making her wrong. They had missed their chance. Tears welled in his eyes, but he blinked them back. He didn't deserve to mourn a woman in death, whom he had refused to acknowledge in life.

His thoughts were interrupted when Jones returned with Flynn and Baird.

"There has to be a way to stop this," Baird said confidently. She was a strategist, always looking for a way out. "I haven't lost a librarian yet, and I don't intend to start now," she said pulling a sword from the table, fully ready to challenge the Angel of Death himself.

"Come on, Eve. She wouldn't want this. She wouldn't want anyone else getting hurt because of her. Just take the time to say goodbye," Flynn said, gently removing the sword from her grasp and pushing her toward the couch.

"This isn't fair," she grumbled, tears now creating a steady track down her face as she tucked Cassie's hair behind her ear. "And where is Jenkins for god's sake!"

"I tried to get him, but he wasn't in his lab," Jones said, as he took a seat on the floor next to the couch and pulled Cassie's hand into his. "She would have made a good thief," he mumbled looking at her hand in his. "She's got the perfect fingers for it."

"I shouldn't have let her use Cal on me," Flynn said sadly, putting comforting hand on Eve's shoulder. "I have had a lifetime's worth of adventure, and she was just getting started."

"No Flynn, you were right she wouldn't want anyone getting hurt so that she could live," Eve replied, placing her hand on top of his. "She was just too good for us."

Having moved away from Cassie to give the others a chance to say goodbye, Stone was struck by how accurate, Baird's assessment of the short life of Cassandra Cillian was. She was too good for this world. She was too good for him.

All too soon, the light returned and with it the Angel of Death. Baird began crying in earnest, turning herself into Flynn's shoulder and yet stubbornly refusing move away from her charge. Jones's eyes were misty as he whispered something she would never hear in Cassie's ear.

"It is time," Azrael said quietly. He took one step toward Cassie, before the annex door burst open and Jenkins came running in.

"Not so fast my friend," Jenkins called.

"There is nothing to be done, Galahad. It is her fate," Azrael said as he took another step.

"Not today," Jenkins said, pulling a shield from behind his back and tossing it to Eve. "Put her arm through, Colonel. She has to hold the shield if this is going to work."

Eve followed directions like a good soldier and a second later, Cassie blinked her eyes.

"How long was I…" she paused mid sentence when she saw the man standing behind Eve. "Oh God… no… I'm not ready. I need more time," she begged her eyes searching the room and landing on Stone. "I had more to do," she whispered returning her gaze to the angel.

"Then I suppose it is lucky you have a friend with excellent timing, Miss Cillian," Azrael said calmly, with a flick of his wrist a list appeared in his hands. "It would appear that you have escaped your fate today young lady, but I would not count on being so lucky in the future." Without another word, Azrael disappeared just as he had come.

Everyone looked at Jenkins, obviously confused by this turn of events.

"Is that what I think it is?" Stone asked, moving to look at the heavy shield still lying on top of Cassie.

"If you think it is the Shield of Evalach, then yes, that is exactly what it is," Jenkins shrugged, as if bored by the whole conversation.

"I thought it was destroyed in the raid in 1949," Flynn said in amazement.

"If you had it the whole damn time, why not heal her in the beginning?" Stone demanded angrily.

"What the hell is the Shield of Evalach?" Eve couldn't help but ask.

"It is the mystical Shield of King Evalach, said to grant the owner heavenly protection. Last known owner, Sir Galahad himself," Stone grounded out, still glaring at Jenkins.

"It wouldn't have worked unless she was actually dying," Jenkins answered glaring right back.

"Well, nice of you to let us in on the plan. What if you had been late getting back?" Stone growled.

"I wasn't. In fact, I am known for my excellent timing," Jenkins replied. "Now if that is all, I will take that back now Miss Cillian."

"Of course, Jenkins, thank you for saving me," Cassie whispered as she handed over the shield.

"Happy to be of service, my dear," Jenkins winked at her and bowed gallantly, before disappearing toward his lab.

"Can you believe that guy?" Stone grumbled slumping onto the sofa where Cassie's feet had been.

"I know, still can't believe Sir Galahad himself has been right under my nose all this time," Flynn mumbled shaking his head.

"That's not what I… I mean…"

"Stone just let it go," Baird said patting his shoulder before turning to the other occupant of the couch. "I am really glad you're ok, Cassie."

"Thanks, Eve, I wouldn't be here without you. I don't know what I am going to do now," Cassie whispered, blinking back tears.

"What do you mean?" Jones asked.

"No brain grape, no special math powers, no good to the team," she shrugged sadly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Flynn cut in quickly. "Cassie, you were destined for the library long before your tumor came along."

"Really?" she asked, a thousand watt smile blooming on her face.

"Really," Flynn promised. "You are so much more than that brain grape, my friend, and I for one cannot wait to see you in action."

Cassie grinned and threw herself into the very surprised librarian's arms, only to stumble from standing up to quickly.

Recognizing her mistake, she giggled in typical Cassie form. "I guess saving the world will have to wait 'til tomorrow," she grinned.

"Do you want me to walk you to your room?" Eve asked gently. Cassie nodded, happily accepting Eve's steady arm around her shoulders, and exited the main annex. With the crisis of the day averted, Flynn's ADHD kicked in and he too ran off saying something about asking Jenkins what other artifacts he knew where to find.

Stone stared at the door for a long moment, before turning back toward the stairs.

"You should go to her," Jones said quietly, knowing that by getting involved he could very well have the wrath of Jake Stone on him.

"Nothing to be said, kid," Stone replied, though he had made no progress up the stairs.

"You won't get another second chance," the younger man warned before heading to his own room.

Jake ignored the kid and continued up the stairs to find the book he had been not really reading before the angel showed up. He sat on a loveseat up stairs for what very well could have been hours, stubbornly forcing himself to read about the Ming dynasty, until he was interrupted by the very person he was trying to avoid.

She plopped down on the other end of the loveseat, kicked off her shoes, and put her ice cold under his legs. He did not look up.

"You going to avoid me forever?" she asked as if the answer didn't matter at all.

"I ain't avoiding ya," he grumbled, the accent he generally tried to cover, coming out in his irritation.

"Seems like you're avoiding me," she shrugged, her nose crinkling in that cute way that made him want to kiss it.

"And why would I do that, oh great knower of all?" he growled, turning to her for the first time and noticing that instead of her usual clothes, she was wearing satin pajama pants and a tank top.

"I would say it has to do with the whole… " She leaned in and whispered the last part conspiratorially, "almost dying thing."

For the hundredth time that day, he felt as if he had been sucker punched in the gut.

"Do you have to joke about it?" he asked seriously, turning his body toward her and putting her feet in his lap.

"I learned a long time ago that a sense of humor is a must in situations like this," she answered gently. "A sense of humor and the ability to see when life is offering you a second chance."

Jake didn't know what to say, so he started to look around the room.

"You know, craziest thing I was reading the other day…" he started to try to change the topic, but she wouldn't let him.

"This is our second chance Jake. Do you really want to waste it telling me about ancient war practices?"

"Cass, I don't think…"

"Is it because you can't trust me, or is it that now that I'm not a ticking time bomb, your savior complex has been turned off?" she snapped, pulling her feet back and moving to stand.

"God, Cass, why would you even think something like that?"

She raised an eyebrow dubiously, but said nothing.

"Neither, okay. Would ya just sit down?" he asked, pulling her back to her seat. "Did ya ever think that it wasn't about you? Like, maybe there is a reason I have been alone for so long?"

Cassie considered his answer, and then dismissed it with a wave of her hand. "Here's the thing, Jake. I like you, A LOT. I have spent of a big part of my life avoiding relationships, so I didn't hurt anyone and you know what that got me?"

He shook his head.

"Nothing!" she laughed. "It got me nothing. No family, no friends, no life, no hope. So yeah, maybe this thing crashes and burns like the Hindenburg, but maybe it doesn't. I don't want to spend my life avoiding everything that makes life worth living, Jake. Do you?"

He thought about what she said. He thought about his life so far, a meaningless string of one night stands with vapid barflies. Then he thought about what it would be like with Cassie, or at least what he hoped it would be like. There would be adventures and laughing and debates and arguments and sadness and comfort, but if he had Cassandra, maybe all the good stuff would outweigh the bad.

"I'm not an easy man to love," he said quietly, avoiding eye contact.

"That," she stopped and dragged his face to hers," is utterly ridiculous. I have loved you, Jacob Stone, for a _very _long time."

Closing the space between then, she gently pressed her lips to his. In a matter of moments, his hands were working up her body, pulling her gently into his lap. They spent a long while exploring their not-so-new-found passion for each other on that couch. For years, whenever they went missing everyone knew where to look. It became the spot where he proposed. Then later, it was the spot where she told him he was going to be a father. And many years later, it was that exact spot where they told their son Nicholas Jenkins Stone all about his namesake and the day the angel came.


End file.
